March 28, 2016

Make-Your-Own Baking Mix

At certain times of the year, for a couple of weeks in the spring and the fall, I need to be in two places at one time. I need to be feeding the animals because it is nearly sunset, and I need to be making dinner so my husband will have a hot meal when he gets home from work.

I've developed a few strategies to deal with this time of year. One is to use my crockpot, and another is to make meals that I can prepare earlier in the day and pop in the oven when I go outside to feed, letting them cook while I'm working outside. Lasagna and macaroni-and-cheese would fall into this category, as well as oven-baked chicken.

Oven-baked chicken is one of our favorite and easy chicken dishes. I use the recipe on the side of the yellow box of baking mix from the grocery store, even though I make my own baking mix now. Keep reading to learn how you can make it too.

First, here's the chicken recipe. I boil the potatoes earlier in the day and make mashed potatoes when I come back in the house. Served with a green veggie, it's a delicious, easy meal that allows me time to do evening chores while it cooks.

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Melt butter in rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches, in oven.
2. Stir together Bisquick®, paprika, salt and pepper; coat chicken. Place skin sides down in dish (dish and butter should be hot).
3. Bake 35 minutes; turn chicken. Bake about 15 minutes longer or until juice is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Making your own baking mix is quick and easy too. There are many recipes online; some include powdered milk, cream of tartar and other items. This one is basic and is the one that I use. By making it yourself you save money and skip all those additives that keep the brand name product shelf-stable.

Combine the first four ingredients well in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Store in well-sealed container in pantry or refrigerator. Your baking mix will last longer if you store it in the refrigerator.

I am fortunate to own one of the first-printing copies of Make-A-Mix Cookery: How to Make Your Own Mixes by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward and Madeline Westover. This book contains recipes for basic mixes to make ahead, as well as recipes to make using the mixes. There are some real gems in this book, and it's one of the well-used books on my cookbook shelf. If you come across this one at a book sale, it is well worth buying - or check out your library shelves for a copy. Used copies are also available at Amazon (affiliate link) and on Etsy. There are a few newer and revised editions of this book, but I've only read the original.

You'll find more of my recipes in my Convenience Foods series. Do you make your own pantry mixes? Please leave a comment and let us know.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after following an affiliate link, I will receive a small commission but it doesn't affect the price you pay. Thank you for supporting my blog.

17 comments:

Our family is allergic to onions so I make quite a few mixes. Not only are they cheaper to make but the quality is so much better. It is great to know that having them on your pantry shelf is a relief when unexpected things come up.

That brings back memories! I have both Make a Mix Cookery and More Make a Mix!!!( it has more specialized mixes) I haven’t used them in awhile, but really need to get them out and start making master mixes!

Hey, I just wanted to drop a note and say that I LOVE your site! Also, I wanted to invite you to come join us at Sunday's Simple Homemaker Link-Up. Would love to have you link-up!! http://www.prairiegalcookin.com/sundays-simple-homemaker-5th-weekly-link-up/

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you'll leave a comment - I would love to hear from you. If you wish to email me instead, please click here. Thank you!

Please note that anonymous comments are usually deleted unread because of the high amount of spam. Instead of commenting anonymously, consider choosing the NAME/URL option - just fill in your name, leaving a URL is optional.

Join Us Every Thursday

This Week's Popular Posts

All photos and articles on this blog are copyrighted. You may link to an article (please include a link back to the original site) or PIN my posts on Pinterest, but please do not use my photos and/or articles for any other use without asking. You may not copy an article in its entirety or use a photo without permission. I retain all rights to my photos and content. Thank you.

This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services, to personalize ads and to analyze traffic. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor nor a veterinarian. You are responsible for your own health and for that of your animals. Please do your own research before using any products, plants, herbs, and/or essential oils.

Disclosure: Some posts on this blog contain affiliate links. When you purchase a product through these companies, I may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price you pay. Read my full disclosure here.

Affiliate programs: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Occasionally I receive a product in exchange for a review or a giveaway. The opinions in any review posts are my own, and I will only review and/or give away items that I feel are of value and interest to my readers.